Article by Peter Ryan
Asking me this, I could bore anyone to sleep, talking about the game. Hockey has been my life since I even knew what the sport was. Anyone who doesnโt play or even follow the sport doesnโt fully understand how much hockey can hold on to someone. From being a kid dreaming of playing in the States to seeing where the hard work started paying off, every chapter has been amazing. Like it is for many, hockey is more than a sport to me; itโs a lifestyle, and the beauty of the hockey world is the people you meet along the way: brothers and lifelong friends. Thereโs calm in the chaos too; just something about the game that makes sense even in the madness. I stepped away from playing 6 years ago, through a change of career/work/family commitments, but I wish I never did, and coming back is the best thing I could have ever done.
Cardiff Fire Captain Craig Thurston beautifully articulates the influence ice hockey has on one's life. A fantastic journey with its ebbs and flows, Thurston's story is a fitting one.
The Start
When I was 4, my old man took me skating on a public session at the Billingham Forum. I didnโt really take to it, but three years later I was curious about the forum because I lived just down the road from it, literally seeing it from my bedroom window. Dad took me again, and for my 8th birthday I got my first pair of skates. Without fail, I skated every single day, the full 365 and one Sunday in the school summer holidays, I saw kids walking in with hockey equipment. I wondered what they were doing; my mum went to ask, and it turned out to be a learn-to-play programme called โStick and Gloveโ. Back then, the sessions were very beginner-level and essentially taught kids how to skate with hockey equipment. In contrast, today the programme is much different, with more progression and helping kids be better prepared before stepping up into their age-group teams. I could already skate, but the coach told my parents to get my kit because there wasnโt anything I could learn there; I needed to be on the team to learn the fundamentals of hockey. So for my 9th birthday, I got all my hockey kit, and thatโs where the journey started.
What started as a skating session rapidly blossomed into a fantastic career in the sport. The game has taken him across the globe and provided opportunities few would otherwise have. Over his time in the sport, he has played for many fantastic teams, but we will get into that later. Thurston talks about the lessons he has learnt along the way.
The level youโre playing at is your own showcase to progress to the level you wish to achieve. Itโs all well and good believing you should be playing at a higher standard, but if you feel like where youโre currently at is beneath you, it will consume you, and youโll underperform, and in turn will dampen your chances of playing at a level you wish to play in. Hard work and dedication are key factors to progressing, but itโs also about having the right attitude, representing not only yourself but an organisation, and having respect.
Applying the lessons you have learnt along the way is not just important in sport, but in life. Thurston has been a part of some elite setups, including stateside, when he played in the Western States Hockey League for the Cheyenne Stampede. A time in his life that didn't just help him develop as a player but as a person.
WSHL and Billingham
It was an experience which I loved every second of. I always say if there was a part of my life I could relive, it's playing juniors! Playing out there helped me learn a lot, both in life and on the ice. Being away from home helped me mature more to be a man; being on the ice/in the gym every day and getting a feel for the professional way of hockey helped me to learn more about the game, and all those lessons Iโve learned, I still apply in life and on the ice today.
His best season with the Stampede came during the 2014-15 campaign, where he skated out for 41 games, contributing 14 goals and 19 assists. During those years, he also played for the Hull Pirates, Manchester Phoenix, and the Port Huron Prowlers. He eventually returned home to the Billingham Stars to play for his home club. It was so much more than joining the team; it was about returning to the community where it all started. Thurston reflects on his time with the team.
It was quite sentimental playing for Billingham because my family would come to all my games when I was a kid up until my first EIHL game, but moving to the States, they couldnโt follow as much, only watching highlights. So coming home meant they could cheer me on once again. I decided to come back to the UK, as both my Dad and Granโs health deteriorated. At that time, the EPIHL had folded, and with the northern/southern teams of that league dispersing into the north and south leagues, I reached out to Billingham to come home and play. They signed me, and like I say, seeing my family at my games was amazing, but the fans' welcome was something else too. I still have a lot of respect for that club and its fanbase, as it is my hometown team, and I still have a lot of friends who I see when I go back home.
He had good seasons with the stars until Thurston took a break from the sport. When he returned, he found a home in the Welsh capital.
Cardiff Fire
It is an honour to play for the Fire. They took a chance on me last season, brought me out of retirement, and welcomed me with open arms. Not only the team but the staff who work behind the scenes, and the fans too. Being told I was going to be captain this season is something I also didnโt take lightly. Iโm not someone above the team; I am still just #95. I just happen to have a letter on my jersey, but with that, I know that thereโs a role that any captain has to do, and Iโve had the privilege of playing with some amazing captains in my career, so I try to take what Iโve learned from them and apply it to my game. Still, though, playing for this team, the camaraderie we have and chemistry, is something I hold close to my heart, and I look forward to us showing what we can truly do as the season goes on.
Thurston has a wealth of experience and can offer a lot to any team he's part of. He talks about lessons he learnt in the professional game and how he applies them to help Cardiff succeed.
I would say leadership qualities, and I donโt mean that from just wearing a letter. Being one of the older guys on the team, Iโve had a bit more experience both in life and playing the game. I try to pass on what I've learned to the younger guys to help them progress, but I also teach them where I went wrong so they donโt make the same mistakes I may have made. Itโs how I was helped playing with guys whoโve been in the NHL/leagues across Europe/playing for their country; I remember most of the lessons they taught me when I was younger, and I try to pass on the wisdom I have now. But I also learn from the younger guys because I still have to adapt to things. Thatโs the beauty of hockey: itโs always adapting, so as I pass on what I know, Iโm still gaining more knowledge and experience from the game every time I step on the ice. Itโs not just the younger players; it's the older players too. We all feed off one another, helping pull the rope in the same direction, and thatโs what creates that professional atmosphere.
As Thurston has already stated, it feels like the Fire are building something special. He talks about his future ambitions.
From a Fire perspective, I want to see us progress and become a powerhouse in the league. The tools are there; itโs just about how we start using them. Weโve had glimpses of what we can do as a team, but weโve also experienced what can happen when we let our foot off the gas. The future of the Fire is in a good spot, and it would be good to see this organisation push for silverware and, even further in the future, if itโs possible, see the Fire stepping up to the next level.
From a personal perspective, I would be lying if I said I wouldnโt want to get called up and see where I can go in my playing career, being able to see what I can achieve if I were to play at a higher level, but at the same time, I want to win as much as possible with this group of awesome individuals and an all-round amazing team.
Thurston has already achieved a lot over the course of his career, yet you feel like there's still a lot more to come. It will be fascinating to see what is written in the upcoming chapters of his story.
Photos: James Assinder / Cheyenne Stampede / Scott Wiggins / Simon Emm / Thomas Foy
